April 18, 2012

Your Secret Online Business Marketing Weapon

As a professional online business service provider, I frankly admit that many of my successes were due in no small part to the influence of my Grandma whose favorite saying was “son – you get back what you give” which she would always echo word for word whenever you were displeased and complained about the way someone had treated you. Like all youngsters I didn’t much appreciate the wisdom of this saying until years latter after I had grown into manhood and was making it on my own.

I could go on and on about the beneficial applications brought about by this saying when applied to your various personal relations and never tire, but my focus in this article is to zoom in and specifically point out its benefits when applied to your online business dealings. But before we embark together on this short journey, I want to emphasize that what I’m about to say may be radically new to some of you who have never heard about or applied the principle of giving and having it multiplied back to you many times over. But for those who have used the principle, you are already familiar with its benefits.

A number of years ago when I first started out on the Internet with my own online business, I was guided by the words of Grandma “…you get back what you give,” so I started giving away eBooks and software that I had the rights to, as well as free advice here and there to struggling marketers wanting to break in to making money online in their own business. As I kept up this practice, blessings and opportunities literally beat a pathway to my door. The more I gave away, the more blessings I received.

If the earnings of your online business aren’t as great as you would like, you may want to try the principle of giving and having it multiplied back to you many times over. It usually doesn’t happen overnight, but if you keep up the practice of giving things away, you can count on receiving some unexpected financial blessings, opportunities, and even tons of subscribers – if you are trying to build a list.

On the subject of giving things away, let me mention that you could just as easily give away tutorials as opposed to eBooks or software (just make sure that whatever you give away – other than a product that you created – that you check the license terms and have the right to give it away). The main key to choosing what gift to give is making sure it’s highly relevant to your target audience. That way, your gifts will build people’s confidence that you consistently know your stuff and that you can be counted on for long-term value. People will perceive that that if you’re willing to give away such valuable expertise, that the information you sell will have value in proving solutions they pay for.

Now what’s the best way for you to share your expertise with your target audience? It’s through writing and speaking. And it starts with being able to get your core ideas down on paper in a way that catches your audience’s attention and compels them to action.

I realize that the idea of writing an article or giving a speech might feel overwhelming to some of you, so I’m going to give you a basic formula to follow to show you just how easy it can be for you.

Formula for Success

We’ve all stared at a blank page at one time or another with pen in hand, at a complete loss for words or ideas wondering how in the world to write the article, proposal, report or presentation that’s due soon. It’s the most stressful feeling and brings out the procrastinator in all of us.

Well! Things are going to change once you read and start following the following basic writing formula:

1. Brainstorm a short list between three to seven things that your clients struggle with or need answers to. Type in a keyword or keyword phrase and do a Google search for ideas about what type of problems would drive your target audience to subscribe to read your articles or tutorials, or to pay good money for your services or products. Remember, it’s not about you — it’s about them, their pain, and their needs. This will guide your list of potential topics for articles and talks.

2. Sort through your list — pick one topic — and answer the following questions:

• What’s the problem?

• What’s the lost opportunity?

• Why is this important to address?

• What will happen if it’s ignored?

• What’s your solution?

• What tips do you have for implementing your solution?

• What example can you use to illustrate your point?

3. Write your answers to these questions and don’t worry about how it flows or even that you’re using good grammar. Just get your ideas on paper (or into the computer). Notice that by now, you have at least a page written. Pat yourself on the back and keep going.

4. Go back and clean up what you’ve written, add a catchy title and some headlines to break up the text, keep your paragraphs short, add some bullets or numbers to guide the eye. Maybe add references or a diagram. Step back and review what you’ve done. By now, you’ve got an article!

5. Ask a couple of trusted colleagues, clients or friends for feedback on your draft – really do this because it helps! Plus, it’s a great confidence booster and low-risk way to share your writing with a small audience first.

6. Put your new article on your website, offer to send it as follow up when networking, send it to current clients, use it as the basis for getting booked for talks (more on how to in a future newsletter)…whatever you do, don’t let it languish. USE it as a way of sharing your expertise.

For more tips on how to share your expertise through writing, keep reading…

Taking a page from Twyla Tharp’s new book, The Creative Habit, this prolific dancer and choreographer shares her tips for moving from procrastination to creativity, regularly and with ease. Apply these ideas to your writing and notice the difference…

1. Set up a creative environment that’s habit forming. Creativity doesn’t just happen; it’s a disciplined skill that can be learned. Creativity is not a mystical, elusive gift that’s only accessible to artists. Everyone can develop it. Set up the right conditions and it eventually kicks-in. For me, it’s the act of daily planning that clears my mind to make room for ideas to flow. For you, it might be puttering in your garden or going for a walk. Whatever it is, do it daily and be disciplined about it.

2. Use an organizational system for your ideas. Over the course of a month, I run into articles, quotes, websites, books, photos, experiences, and conversations…all of which inspire me for an upcoming article or talk. I capture them in folders, labeled by theme or big idea. When I’m ready to start writing, I draw on this collection of resources to inspire and guide my thinking. Twyla Tharp uses a box for each new project. You might find a binder the best catchall. Whatever works for you, the mere act of labeling and filling your container demonstrates your commitment to the idea.

3. Scratch. Scratching is about seeking inspiration to fill your container. I scratch when I flip through copies of Fast Company and Inc. Magazine or browsing in my favorite bookstore (where I found Tharp’s book!). I scratch while networking with other professionals and ask what they’re working on or stuck on in their business. This is about where you get your ideas…it’s kind of primal, and you never know what’ll inspire you.

4. Beware of these deadly mistakes: relying too much on others, waiting for or expecting perfection, over thinking, feeling obligated to finish what you’ve started, and working with the wrong materials. Any one of them will undermine your best efforts. If you’re stuck, look at each of these to see if they’re holding you back.

5. Find your spine. It’s your one strong idea, the toehold that gets you started. The spine of this e-newsletter, for example, is that writing is a core competency of effective marketing. Related to it is the inspiration I found in Twyla’s book.

6. Master your skill. You have to master the underlying skills of your creative domain, and then build your creativity on the solid foundation of those skills. You can’t write or speak effectively about your chosen profession, if you haven’t mastered what you bring to the table to begin with.

7. Know the difference between a rut and a block. Writer’s block is when you’ve shut down and your tank is empty. In that case, you just need to do something – anything – to change the patterns in your brain (walk away, sing, get outdoors, do some yoga, cuddle with your pet…you get the idea). A rut is more like a false start. This happens when you’re using a bad idea, it’s bad timing, or you’re sticking with old methods that don’t work. Get out of a rut by questioning everything except your ability to get out of it.

8. Fail often privately. This includes drafts that get thrown away, early versions that you share with trusted colleagues, testing your message while networking (“what’s your impression of…?”). Then figure out why you’re failing (is it the idea? your timing? a matter of skill? judgment? nerve?) and address it before going public.

9. Believe in the long haul. Sharing your expertise through writing won’t be easy over night. It’ll take discipline to create a habit that eventually builds the skill. Believe me, its well worth it.

Well that concludes my thoughts for now on succeeding in business. Hopefully this article has stirred or reawakened to the extent necessary your desire to build your own online business or to achieve whatever goal it is you desire. It’s now time to take action on what’s been suggested in this article. It would really be great if merely wishing could bring about the accomplishment of your goal, but it just doesn’t work that way. Wishing has its place, but Action and planning is required along with it to produce results. I’ve found that disciplined thinking about giving to receive in business and committing to a scheduled writing time that you consistently stick with creates the right kind of mindset that empowers one onward to greater successes. So get on the right track with your thinking and if you are not already doing so, start writing three or more good articles per week. With a little practice and following my basic writing formula, you’ll find it is easily attainable. Just keep at it and before you know it, you’ll have a solid repertoire of articles and speeches to draw from in your marketing arsenal that will provide the building stones of your online business.

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